Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners post-Istanbul talks

President Zelensky announced on his X account that the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia has begun and will continue in the coming days. "Our people are home. Ukrainians are returning home from Russian captivity. Today, an exchange began, which will continue in several stages over the coming days," he stated.

The exchange focuses mostly on the "wounded, the severely wounded, and those under the age of 25." As he also added, "the process is quite complex, with many sensitive details, and negotiations continue virtually every day."

"We count on the full implementation of the humanitarian agreements reached during the meeting in Istanbul. We are doing everything possible to bring back every single person. We are working toward this at every level," President Zelensky stated, finishing his post by expressing gratitude toward all involved parties, encouraging the implementation of humanitarian actions.

Kremlin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, as reported by the Russian news agency Tass, however, stated that Moscow is waiting for Kyiv's stance on accepting the bodies of deceased soldiers, highlighting Russia's readiness for the exchange.

"Our experts are on the border, at the point where the exchange was supposed to take place. We have already said that. We are ready to implement [the agreements reached in Istanbul]," Peskov stated.

As portal Ukrainska Pravda reports, the issues with implementing the deal began on June 6th, when Russia proclaimed that repatriation efforts had begun, and subsequently declared that "Ukraine refused to retrieve the bodies of its citizens." However, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated that Russia was manipulating the facts and preparations for the exchange were ongoing.

Source: X, Tass, Ukrainska Pravda